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Kickoff to the NFL season is right around the corner and teams have just a few more opportunities for a tune-up as the preseason winds down. In what is expected to be a “dress rehearsal” for the season, the Cleveland Browns will hit the road to take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium on Friday.
Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m. ET. Here’s a rundown of how to watch the Browns vs Bucs online without cable, with the live streaming options being dependent on where you reside:
If The Game is in Your Market
First, you’ll want to know what channel the game is on. It’s on ABC in Cleveland and NBC in Tampa, and it will be on either ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox, CW or MyTV in other cities.
Then, if you don’t have cable, you can watch a live stream of one, some or all of these channels (in select markets) on your computer, phone, Roku, Fire TV or other streaming device via one of the following live-TV streaming services:
Fans in Cleveland, Tampa & Other Select Markets: Hulu With Live TV
In addition to a Netflix-like on-demand streaming library, Hulu also offers a bundle of 60-plus live TV channels, including ABC, NBC, Fox, CBS & CW (all live in select markets; view channels in your area).
You can sign up for “Hulu with Live TV” right here, and you can then watch a live stream of the Browns vs Bucs on your computer via the Hulu website, or on your phone (Android and iPhone supported), tablet, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Echo Show, or other streaming device via the Hulu app.
If you can’t watch live, Hulu With Live TV comes with 50 hours of cloud DVR space, as well as the option to upgrade to “Enhanced Cloud DVR,” which gives you 200 hours of space and the ability to fast-forward through commercials.
Fans in Tampa & Other Select Markets: FuboTV
NBC, Fox, CBS and CW (all live in select markets; view channels in your area) are among the 95-plus live TV channels included in the main FuboTV bundle, which is largely tailored towards sports. ABC is not included with FuboTV, so fans in Cleveland will want to use a different option.
You can start a free seven-day trial of FuboTV right here, and you can then watch a live stream of the Browns vs Bucs on your computer via the FuboTV website, or on your phone (Android and iPhone supported), tablet, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, or other supported device via the FuboTV app.
If you can’t watch live, FuboTV comes with 30 hours of cloud DVR space, as well as a 72-hour look-back feature, which allows you to watch the game on-demand within three days of its conclusion, even if you don’t record it.
Fans in Columbus & Toledo: Amazon Prime
If the game is on CBS in your area (as it is in Columbus and Toledo), and you don’t need any other channels, Amazon Prime’s CBS channel is a great option.
If you have Amazon Prime or want to start a free 30-day trial of Amazon Prime, you can watch all live and on-demand CBS content via the CBS All-Access Amazon Channel, which comes with a seven-day free trial.
Once you’re signed up for both Amazon Prime and the CBS channel, you can then watch a live stream of the Browns vs Bucs on your computer via the Amazon website, or you can watch on your phone (Android and iPhone compatible), tablet, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Fire TV Stick, Xbox One, PlayStation 4 or other streaming device via the Amazon Video app.
Fans in Cleveland & Other Select Markets: PlayStation Vue
PS Vue — which doesn’t require an actual PlayStation console to sign up or watch — offers four different live-TV channel packages, all of which include ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox and MyTV (all live in select markets; view channels in your area). NBC is not available live in Tampa, so if you live there you’ll want to use a different option.
You can start a free five-day trial of PS Vue right here, and you can then watch a live stream of the Browns vs Bucs on your computer via the PS Vue website, or on your phone (Android and iPhone supported), tablet, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, PlayStation (3 or 4), or other supported device via the PS Vue app.
If you can’t watch live, PS Vue comes with cloud DVR.
If The Game is Out of Your Market
You can watch every out-of-market preseason NFL game online via NFL Game Pass, which costs $99.99 for the season (or you can pay four installments of $29.99).
You can start a free trial of NFL Game Pass right here, and then if the game is outside of your market, you can watch the Browns vs Bucs on your computer via the Game Pass website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the NFL app.
If You’re in Canada: DAZN
Viewers in Canada can watch every preseason, regular season and postseason NFL game live online via DAZN, a digital streaming service that also includes NFL Network, NFL RedZone, Premier League soccer, Champions League soccer, boxing and other live sports for $20 per month or $150 per year.
You can sign up for a free one-month trial of DAZN right here, and you can then watch a live stream of the Browns vs Bucs and every other NFL game on your computer via DAZN.com, or on your phone, tablet, smart TV, Roku, Xbox One, or other streaming device via the DAZN app.
Browns vs. Bucs Preview
The NFL preseason is just getting interesting as most teams are starting to get more serious as the season rapidly approaches. Starters typically see the most time in the third game of the preseason and the game is often referred to as a “dress rehearsal” for the regular season. But teams still try to find a balance between staying sharp for the season and avoiding injuries, but it’s easier said than done.
Browns head coach Freddie Kitchens is not someone who lives by the norms. The first-year head coach has made clear that he might not follow the formula that has long been established for the preseason. The Browns sat the majority of their starters in their second preseason game against the Colts.
“I look at it as part of the process of getting ready for the season,” Kitchens said. “I’m not sold on the dress rehearsal thing. I just look at it as another opportunity to try to get better.”
The Buccaneers are still mapping out their plan for the contest as well after pulling out a thrilling 16-14 victory over the Dolphins last week.
Backup quarterback Ryan Griffin continued his strong play, collecting 201 yards and a touchdown on 14 of 21 passing.
“I said ‘How much do we need to play?'” Arians recounted. “They said ‘We need a half.’ I said ‘I don’t think you do. We’ll see about that.’ But, they wanted to play a half to get into a little bit more rhythm.”
A focus of the Bucs is improving on their run game, which was ranked 29th in the league last season. According to the Bucs official site, of the 11 carries this preseason behind the first-team line so far, nine are by running backs Peyton Barber and Ronald Jones.
“Getting the running game started has been an emphasis this year for us,” said veteran Tampa Bay center Ryan Jensen. “There’s still some stuff we need to improve on but we’re getting better every day. We kind of pride ourselves in keeping our noses to grindstone and just working and getting better every day.”
Cleveland kicks off its season against the Tennessee Titans on Sept. 8 at home, while the Buccaneers host the 49ers on the same day.